Belt Buckle, Sutton Hoo, early 7th century, gold, 13.2 x 5.6 cm © Trustees of the British Museum
Early Medieval Art by
In the first millennium, a rich and distinctive artistic tradition emerged in Europe. Early Medieval Art explores this tradition and tracks its development from c. 300 AD through c. 1000 AD, revealing forms of artistic expression ranging from brilliant illuminated manuscripts to decorative chairs, rich embroidery, and precious metalwork.
Nees explores issues of artist patronage, craftsmanship, holy men and women, monasteries, secular courts, and the expressive and educational roles of artistic creation. Instead of treating early Christian art in the late Roman tradition and the arts of the newly established kingdoms of northern Europe as opposites, he adopts a more holistic view, treating them as different aspects of a larger historical situation. This approach reveals the onset of an exciting new visual relationship between the church and the populace throughout medieval Europe. Moreover, it restores a previously marginalized subject to a central status in our artistic and cultural heritage.
The Secret Middle Ages by
Using medieval art, much of it unseen or ignored by museums and art historians, this book paints a picture of life as imagined by the great mass of ordinary people between 1200 and 1500. The picture that emerges is of a civilization that is both unlike and like our own. Unlike most studies of the medieval world, this book does not concern itself with religious or aristocratic art, but with the products of popular and folk art. Love, hatred, crime and punishments, proverbs, heaven on earth, husband-beating all feature in the jewellery, tableware, illustrations, carvings and textiles of the period.
The Pictorial Arts of the West, 800-1200 by
Between the ninth and the 13th centuries the Western world witnessed a flowering of the pictorial arts. In this book the author provides a guide to all forms of this art - from wall and panel paintings to stained glass windows, mosaics and embroidery - and sets them against the historical and theological influences of the age.
Materials, Methods, and Masterpieces of Medieval Art by
Materials, Methods, and Masterpieces of Medieval Art provides a comprehensive and detailed analysis of the work done by artists in western Europe during the Middle Ages. Art historian Janetta Rebold Benton uses examples such as the Book of Kells, Bury Saint Edmunds Cross, and the Bayeux Tapestry, and the work of artists such as Jan van Eyck and Giotto to explore the various media available to medieval artists and the ways in which those media were used to create a stunning array of masterworks. Although the visual arts of the Middle Ages were extremely colorful, today much of that color has diminished or disappeared, the pigments and threads faded, the gold abraded, the silver tarnished. Materials, Methods, and Masterpieces of Medieval Art allows these works to sparkle once more.
Meetings with Remarkable Manuscripts by
This is a book about why medieval manuscripts matter. The idea for the book, which is entirely new, is to invite the reader into intimate conversations with twelve of the most famous manuscripts in existence and to explore with the author what they tell us about nearly a thousand years of medieval history -- and sometimes about the modern world too. Part travel book, part detective story, part conversation with the reader, Meetings with remarkable manuscripts conveys the fascination and excitement of encountering some of the greatest works of art in our culture which, in the originals, are to most people completely inaccessible.
Illuminated Manuscripts by
Those who have had the chance to hold a medieval manuscript in their hands cannot fail to have been impressed by the feeling of being in touch with a long-passed epoch. Back when a book was a true handicraft and every copy the result of a laborious process, the object was more a work of art than a volatile commercial product. The Mega Square Illuminated Manuscripts puts the reader in touch with amazing medieval illustrations and unique adornments, which document the imaginative power of their creators.
Visions of Heaven by
Admiration and awe / by Keith F. Davis -- Classical, Byzantine, Islamic, Romanesque, and Gothic architecture -- The Renaissance -- The Baroque in Southern and Western Europe -- The Baroque and Rococo in Central and Eastern Europe -- The nineteenth century -- The dome in European architecture / by Victoria Hammond.
The Dark Ages by
Between the Fall of Rome and the dawn of the Renaissance, Europe plunged into a dark night of constant war, splintered sovereignties, marauding pagans, and more. As chaos replaced culture, Europe was beset by famine, plague, persecutions, and a state of war that was so persistent it was only rarely interrupted by peace. From warlords whose armies threatened to cause the demise of European society, such as Alaric, Charles the Hammer, and Clovis; to the people who valiantly tended the flames of justice, knowledge, and innovation including Charlemagne, St. Benedict, Empress Theodora, and other brave souls who fought for peace and enlightenment.
Castle by
Castle combines colorful animation with live-action documentary sequences to tell the story of a 13th-century Welsh castle. Author David Macaulay, who wrote and illustrated the best-selling book of the same title, leads viewers on a castle tour, explaining its cultural and sociological significance and its architectural design. Detailed animation dramatizes the building of the castle and portrays the lifestyle of the early inhabitants.
The Celts by
Follows the story of the Celts from their earliest roots through the flowering of their culture and their enduring heritage today. Includes reconstructions of iron-age villages, dramatizations of major historical events and visits to modern Celtic lands.
Building the Great Cathedrals by
Carved from a hundred million pounds of stone, soaring effortlessly atop a spiderweb of masonry, Gothic cathedrals are marvels of human achievement and artistry. But how did medieval builders reach such spectacular heights? Consuming the labor of entire towns, sometimes taking a hundred years to build, these architectural marvels were crafted from just hand tools and stone. Many now teeter on the brink of catastrophic collapse.
Streaming Video
Atlas of the Celtic World by
An historical atlas charting the Celts from their origins in the Bronze Age to their present-day diaspora, with colour maps supported by text and illustrations. It deals separately with Continental, Atlantic and Modern Celts, taking into consideration the latest research and academic controversies.
Celtic Art by
The authors have continued to keep abreast of discoveries and new interpretations of old material from Britain to Bulgaria, and the fruits of their research and travel are incorporated in this revised edition. Ranging from the Black Sea to the Baltic and from Anatolia to County Armagh, the Megaws investigate the antecedents of Celtic art, the styles and motifs employed, the relationship of the Celts and their art to the ancient civilizations of the Mediterranean, and the magnificent maturity of Celtic art in Britain and Ireland. They include major discoveries that have been made as the result of highway and rail construction and the results of detailed surveys of known sites, such as the recovery of the remarkable stone sculpture from the Glauberg northwest of Frankfurt. Continuing work at old sites such as the saltmining complex of the Durrnberg just south of Salzburg has produced new treasures, and important finds in Central and Eastern Europe and in the British Isles have necessitated a change in emphasis with regard to questions of origin and development.The wealth of pictorial material includes location maps for each period and numerous new illustrations; the comprehensive bibliography has been updated and expanded.
Celtic Myths and Legends by
This is an enchantingly told collection of the stirring sagas of gods and goddesses, fabulous beasts, strange creatures, and such heroes as Cuchulain, Fingal, and King Arthur from the ancient Celtic world. Included are popular myths and legends from all six Celtic cultures of Western Europe--Irish, Scots, Manx, Welsh, Cornish, and Breton. Here for the modern reader are the rediscovered tales of cattle raids, tribal invasions, druids, duels, and doomed love that have been incorporated into, and sometimes distorted by, European mythology and even Christian figures. For example, there is the story of Lugh of the Long Hand, one of the greatest gods in the Celtic pantheon, who was later transformed into the faerie craftsman Lugh-Chromain, and finally demoted to the lowly Leprechaun. Celtic Myths and Legends also retells the story of the classic tragic love story of Tristan and Iseult (probably of Cornish origin--there was a real King Mark and a real Tristan in Cornwall) and the original tale of King Arthur, a Welsh leader who fought against the invading Anglo-Saxons. In the hands of Peter Berresford Ellis, the myths sung by long-dead Celtic bards come alive to enchant the modern reader. "The casual reader will be best entertained by ... the legends themselves ...colored with plenty of swordplay, ... quests, shape-shiftings, and druidic sorcery."--Publishers Weekly
The Celts by
Before its decline in the first century B.C., the Celtic world stretched from the British Isles to the Carpathian Mountains and Asia Minor, and the Celts possessed their own vital and highly original civilization, revealed in the rich profusion of ornamental motifs that decorate Celtic weapons and artefacts. Their traditions live on in customs, names, and crafts, and they contributed greatly to the formation of Europe. Archaeological excavations have recovered some of the beautiful treasures of the Celts, as well as much evidence of their social and economic life. This revised paperback edition of the landmark volume that accompanied an exhibition at the Palazzo Grassi takes the reader on a voyage through many eras, places, and themes to rediscover the story of a people still in some ways shrouded in mystery. It reveals the aggressive voyages of the Celts to the shores of foreign civilizations, and evidence of their great sophistication-- the Gallic calendar, their advanced agricultural techniques, their craftsmanship and metalwork. Written by scholars in the field, this is the ideal handbook on the Celtic culture.
The Art of the Bible by
This extensively illustrated new book, compiled and written by two internationally renowned experts, transports readers, by way of forty-five featured manuscripts, across the globe and through 1,000 years of history. Passing chronologically through many of the major centers of the Christian world, from Constantinople and imperial Aachen to Canterbury, Mozarabic Spain, Crusader Jerusalem, northern Iraq, Paris, London, Bologna, and Rome, Scot McKendrick and Kathleen Doyle shed light on some of the finest but least-known paintings from the Middle Ages, and on the development of art, literature, and civilization as we know it.
The First Christian Centuries by
The first three centuries of the early church were a period of struggle, transition and growth. Recent attempts by historians and social scientists to understand this era have produced various and conflicting accounts. Indeed, some have sought to overturn the former consensus regarding which texts provide reliable evidence and how they should be interpreted. In The First Christian Centuries, Paul McKechnie, a classical scholar, examines some key issues in the current debate.Which ancient sources are reliable?What was the social makeup of the early Christian movement?What can we determine about the growth rate and persecution of first-century Christians?What do we know about the second generation of Christians?How should we assess the reliability of our various sources from the second and third centuries?What were the nature and extent of persecutions in the second and third centuries?What were the long-term consequences of Paul's making converts within the household of Caesar?Can we gain historical perspective on the diversity that traveled under the name Christian in the early centuries?How were women regarded and what roles did they play?And how was it that a Roman emperor, Constantine, was converted--and what were the implications for the Christian movement?The value of McKechnie's study lies not in providing a comprehensive narrative of the origins and growth of the early church. Rather, it lies in critically examining key historical issues in sustained conversation with contemporary scholarship and the ancient sources. McKechnie will be valued by both students and scholars of early Christianity as an intelligent and informed companion who offers repeated and valuable insights into this critical era of Christian beginnings.
From Durrow to Kells by 
The Book of Kells: Art, Origins, History by 
The Book of Durrow by 
The Lindisfarne Gospels by
The Lindisfarne Gospels, a manuscript produced in the Northumbrian island monastery of Lindisfarne at the end of the seventh century in honour of Saint Cuthbert, is one of the world's foremost masterpieces of book painting. It is a precious relic of early Christianity in England, and one of the nation's greatest treasures.
This is the first ever book to make the glories of the Lindisfarne Gospels accessible to a wide public. All the essential illuminated pages are reproduced impeccably in colour from an entirely new and accurate set of photographs.
A History of the Ostrogoths by
"Thorough and convincing... likely to become the standard work on the subject." -- Library Journal "Highly readable." -- Medieval Literature "A major work of synthesis." -- Walter E. Kaegi "Burns has achieved much for the modern study of Ostrogoths." -- Antiquaries Journal
The Anglo-Saxon Age by
First published as part of the best-selling The Oxford Illustrated History of Britain, John Blair's Very Short Introduction to the Anglo-Saxon Age covers the emergence of the earliest English settlements to the Norman victory in 1066. This book is a brief introduction to the political, social,religious, and cultural history of Anglo-Saxon England.
Anglo Saxon England and the Norman Conquest by
This book gives an account of the social and economic developments in Anglo-Saxon England from the first settlements in the fifth and sixth centuries to the immediate aftermath of the Norman conquest. The basic structure of analysis rests on the surviving legal and literary evidence, buttressed by the latest findings of archaeologists, numismatists, and art historians. In nearly 30 years since the first edition there has been great advance in knowledge, notably on the numismatic side, but the main themes remain constant and deal with a steady development from tribal institutions where the social power of the kindred is dominant towards the creation of a territorial kingdom where the chief bonds that keep a community together concern lordship in all its attributes.
The Anglo-Saxons by
Although the "Lost Centuries" between AD400 and 600 suffer from a scarcity of written sources, and only two writers, King Alfred and the Venerable Bede, dominate our understanding of later times, the authors have created a rich and thought-provoking account of the stormy era when Britain became Christian and sustained several waves of Viking invaders. A single nation, they suggest, slowly emerged from the rivalries and fluctuating fortunes of separate kingdoms like Mercia, Wessex and East Anglia. Major figures such as Offa, Alfred, Edgar and Cnut are discussed in detail, while the stunning illustrations convey the immense achievements of Anglo-Saxon centuries were 'simply a barbarous prelude to better things'.
The Franks by 
Viking Mythology by
#1 Best Seller!Viking and Norse Mythology! Take an exciting ride back in time! Learn About Ancient Myths, Gods and Warriors!Learn the myths surrounding Viking mythology. (Did they really wear caps with horns?) Norse mythology 9 worlds The origin of the Cosmos Interesting trivia Gods, Goddesses and Creatures Don't miss this thrilling and interesting opportunity to travel in time and fantasy!
The Oxford Illustrated History of the Vikings by
Were the Vikings, as contemporary description had it, a `valiant, wrathful, foreign, purely pagan people' who swept in from the sea to plunder and slaughter? `War-wolves keen in hungry quest', according to later tradition, who lived and died by the sea and the sword? Or were they unusuallysuccessful merchants, extortionists, and pioneer explorers? This book, by leading international scholars, considers the latest research and presents a compelling picture of the Vikings and their age. Excavations as far apart as Dublin and Newfoundland, York and Kiev, provide fascinating archaeological evidence, expertly interpreted in this extensivelyillustrated book. Its chapters cover the different geographical areas of the Viking world, and trace the Viking story from the first `hit-and-run' raids on isolated coastal communities towards the end of the eighth century to the establishment of permanent settlements and their interaction withlocal culture. The Viking heritage and the different uses it was put to in subsequent centuries by, amongst others, the Romantic movement in literature, Scandinavian immigrants to the American Mid-west, and the Nazis is further explored in a fascinating chapter. From sagas to shipbuilding technology, from funeral rituals to fur-trading, The Oxford Illustrated History of the Vikings offers a comprehensive and absorbing overview of Viking activity and the Viking legacy.
Cultural Atlas of the Viking World by
One of the Culural Atlas series, this is an illustrated history of the Viking Age - Europe's dominant culture for over 300 years from the late 8th century. Centred on Denmark, Norway and Sweden, but reaching westward across the Atlantic, eastward to the Black Sea and southward to the Mediterranean, the Viking Age dominated Europe and was symbolized by networks of sea crossings and river routes, military campaigns and cultural development.
History and Memory in the Carolingian World by
The writing and reading of history in the early Middle Ages form the key themes of this 2004 book. The primary focus is on the remarkable manifestations of historical writing in relation to historical memory in the Frankish kingdoms of the eighth and ninth centuries. It considers the audiences for history in the Frankish kingdoms, the recording of memory in new genres including narrative histories, cartularies and Libri memoriales, and thus particular perceptions of the Frankish and Christian past. It analyses both original manuscript material and key historical texts from the Carolingian period, a remarkably creative period in the history of European culture. Presentations of the past developed in this period were crucial in forming an historical understanding of the Greco-Roman and Judaeo-Christian past and, in subsequent centuries, of early medieval Europe. They also played an extraordinarily influential role in the formation of political ideologies and senses of identity within Europe.
Carolingian Portraits by
Recreates the 9th-century world of Charlemagne through portraits of outstanding figures of the age
Carolingian Art by